CT man facing murder charge in connection with Southington resident found dead in home

Police have arrested a man in connection with a homicide in Southington last April.

Brian Seholm, 25, was taken into custody Thursday in Torrington just before 7 p.m. and charged with one count of murder in the death of 55-year-old Dominick Francischelli, according to the Southington Police Department.

According to police, officers responded to a residence at 32 Douglas St. on April 11, 2023, after receiving a 911 call about an unresponsive man. Francischelli, who resided in the home, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Southington police carried out multiple search warrants during their investigation and learned from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that Francischelli died of compression to his neck. His death was ruled a homicide following an autopsy, according to police.

Police said they obtained a warrant on Thursday charging Seholm in Francischelli’s death. They identified the two as associates and said investigators believe Seholm was with Francischelli on the evening he was killed.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Seholm called 911 just before midnight and was instructed by a dispatcher on how to administer CPR to Francischelli before first responders arrived. Francischelli was found lying on the kitchen floor where police said they noticed what looked like trauma to his face, including swelling and discoloration and what looked like blood coming from the area of his nose and mouth.

Aside from Seholm, the only other person in the home was Francischelli’s elderly mother, police wrote in the affidavit.

When Seholm spoke to police, he said he and Francischelli had been drinking earlier in the night at the Douglas Street home before Seholm decided to go to bed between 7:30 and 8 p.m., the warrant affidavit said. Francischelli stayed in the kitchen, Seholm told investigators.

Sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight, Seholm told police he woke up to get a drink of water when he found Francischelli unresponsive in the kitchen, according to the affidavit. He denied killing Francischelli or injuring him in any way, police wrote.

Investigators found that the home had multiple cameras inside and out. A relative of Francischelli’s told police he had access to one of these cameras, which reportedly showed Seholm climb into the mother’s bed just before 9:45 p.m., which caused her to scream, the affidavit said. No other family members had access to any of the cameras at the home, police wrote.

Authorities sought an arrest warrant to charge Seholm with second-degree reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct for the incident in the bed. After he was served with the warrant on April 12, Seholm reportedly agreed to speak with investigators, at which point police said he admitted that he had not been 100% truthful during his first interview, according to the murder warrant affidavit.

Seholm said he lied about waking up to get a glass of water and was actually awoken to find himself in the elderly woman’s bed, according to the affidavit. He reportedly told police he had “blacked out” and had no recollection of getting in the bed, the affidavit said.

He told police after getting out of bed, he walked down the hallway and found Francischelli lying in the kitchen where he rendered him aid, according to the affidavit.

Later on in the interview, police allege that Seholm acknowledged the possibility that he “may have” done something to hurt Francischelli, but he could not remember, according to the affidavit. When asked if he killed Francischelli, the affivadit said, Seholm said “no … I don’t know … I hope to (expletive) God I didn’t. …”

Southington investigators found that Seholm had previously been arrested in Bristol on July 24, 2022 on charges of second-degree strangulation/suffocation, second-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, the affidavit said. In that case, Bristol police alleged Seholm was intoxicated when he was involved in an altercation with someone, according to the affidavit. Seholm during the Bristol incident prevented the victim from leaving his kitchen and wrapped his arm around the victim’s neck in a “chokehold,” preventing him from breathing, the affidavit said.

Seholm also during the Bristol incident allegedly told the victim to beg for his life and “I’m going to kill you.”

The charges stemming from the incident in Bristol remain pending in New Britain Superior Court.

According to an obituary, Francischelli — who went by Nicky — was a lifelong resident of Southington who graduated from St. Paul High School in Bristol before earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Quinnipiac University. He worked as an account manager for 15 years with ADP prior to his death in addition to serving as his mother’s primary caregiver in recent years, the obituary said.

“Nicky will be remembered for so many things including his adventurous spirit, kind heart, generous nature and love of gardening and cooking,” the obituary states. “His made-from-scratch cheesecake was enjoyed at many a family gathering.

“He cultivated some of the tastiest tomatoes and hot peppers and readily shared the harvest and homemade salsa and hot sauce with family and friends.”

Seholm was being held in lieu of a $2 million bond and was expected to be arraigned Friday in New Britain Superior Court.